


Five Times Albus Was A Good Friend To Scorpius (and One Time Scorpius Was A Good Friend Too)

by roonilbwazlib



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Canon-Compliant, Character Death, Drabbles, Flatshare, Fluff, Gen, Hogwarts Era, LightInTheDarkness, M/M, Malfoy Manor, Multi, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Pining, Post-Hogwarts, Potioneer!Albus, Scorbus, Well Albus is pining, Yule Ball, bath bombs, bit of angst?, healer!scorpius, ish, these boys are too cute, though I have taken a few liberties
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:15:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24733780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roonilbwazlib/pseuds/roonilbwazlib
Summary: Six short, sweet, fluffy drabbles (OK, one or two might have a bit of angst, as a treat), set over the course of Scorpius and Albus's friendship - from Second Year right up Post-Hogwarts life. Written and posted for @SparesAreSpared's #LightInTheDarkness challenge on Twitter, where the prompt today (15/06/2020) is "Friendship".
Relationships: Astoria Greengrass/Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter
Comments: 8
Kudos: 69





	1. Back To Hogwarts

**Author's Note:**

> Well!! Here we are!! Again!!
> 
> I have not written fanfiction for a good five years, and I have never written Scorbus fanfiction. I made a promise to myself that I'd get back into writing this year though, and I have the incredible @SparesAreSpared to thank for giving me that final push by way of her amazing #LightInTheDarkness challenge. 
> 
> I started out hoping to draft one (1) short ficlet, but that somehow became a six chapter drabble - and I'm not mad?? This is obviously a bit rough and raw, but to say I started it at 4pm yesterday and posted it today, I'm counting it as a win. Bear with me whilst I practice and polish up, and forgive me for any mistakes - I would not usually draft, edit, and post in less than 24 hours, but the challenge called! I also enjoyed this far more than I even expected to, and I know that I'd regret not giving it a go more than I might look back and regret these ridiculous words one day.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it, and I hope I've done these boys justice - I'm sorry for the pining and the lack of established relationship/closure, but I need to flex my fingers and get used to their voices for a bit before I PROPERLY dive in! Please let me know what you think!
> 
> Thanks again Bertie for hosting this challenge! Everyone, go check out the #LightInTheDarkeness hashtag!

“Your mum? It’s got worse?”

Scorpius seemed to crumble at Albus’s words, folding in on himself. His answer got stuck in his throat, and he blinked back tears.

“It’s got the worst it can possibly get.”

He still couldn’t say the word died. Or dead. They were too final, and even thinking them made his hands shake and his stomach turn over.

Scorpius could sense rather than see Albus lower himself carefully down onto his own trunk, which he’d dumped right next to Scorpius’s. Albus’s arm snaked across Scorpius’s shoulders, and the embrace reminded Scorpius of his mother so much that he almost couldn’t bear it.

“I couldn’t work out what to say,” he mumbled, praying he wasn’t going to have a full blown breakdown right here on the platform, with the entire Hogwarts student body and their parents - plural - around him.

He felt Albus squeeze him tighter. “And now I don’t know what to say”. 

For a moment, they were quiet. “Say nothing” Scorpius said finally, turning his face to Albus’s for the first time that morning. “Just come to the funeral. And be my good friend.”

Albus looked right back at Scorpius, willing him to know that whatever he couldn’t say, he felt, and that he’d do anything he could to help his best friend through this.

“Of course I’ll come” he said softly, and Scorpius attempted a watery smile in return, before the lump in his throat almost choked him and turned his efforts into a grimace. 

Albus felt like his own heart was breaking. Seeing Scorpius so upset, and realising he’d been alone with this pain made his own heart beat painfully against his chest. He shifted slightly, so that his leg pressed against the other boys’. 

“I’ll be right there. I’ll always be there for you.”

Scorpius leant his body weight back against Albus, and the two of them held each other, allowing their emotions to block out their surroundings so they could have been the only two people left in the world.

A shrill whistle disrupted them from their shared grief, and Albus jumped up, flustered. “Scorpius, we have to go - here - let me - “

Albus grabbed his trunk and reached out for Scorpius’s, aware they only had a few seconds to join their classmates before the train left without them. Scorpius looked dazed, as if he wasn’t quite sure what was happening.

“Come on, you grab that door - there - now jump on and hold it open whilst I get the trunks on board - “

With a gargantuan effort and a lot of huffing and puffing, Albus somehow managed to push and shove two full trunks onto the Hogwarts Express, turning and slamming the compartment door closed just as the train began to move. Scorpius was sitting in the far corner of their hastily chosen compartment, leaning against the door frame and looking lost.

Sweeping his fringe out of his eyes, Albus crossed the compartment and paused in the doorway, looking down at his friend.

“Back in a minute, Scor, OK?”

Scorpius barely nodded, but Albus had already headed out into the corridor, focusing on hunting down the Trolley Witch and using every last Galleon he had to buy Scorpius the biggest bag of sweets he could possibly imagine.


	2. Astoria's Funeral

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am ~obsessed~ with the Malfoy family unit, and will definitely be featuring Astoria and Drastoria in future fics. This one is a bit sad, but there's some sweetness and light too, because what else would you expect from our two favourite boys?

Albus was staring down into his trunk, which even after a week back at Hogwarts, he still hadn’t got round to unpacking. Nothing he’d brought was suitable for a funeral. 

Across the dormitory, Scorpius was quietly packing his toothbrush and flannel into a small leather bag, as they’d be staying over at the Manor tomorrow night before Floo-ing back to school on Monday morning. His formal dress robes were all still at home too, and being a Malfoy, Albus was sure his friend would have at least seven different options anyway.

No such luck for him. The only slightly smart clothes he owned were his Hogwarts uniform, and he wasn’t about to show up to Astoria’s service in Slytherin green, even if it had been her old house too. His scruffy jeans and soft hoodies also wouldn’t cut it, and even his Weasley jumper from last year was now a bit on the small side.

“Er, Scorpius?” said Albus, feeling uncomfortable. He couldn’t show his best friend up, not when going to his mum’s funeral was the only thing Scorpius had asked of him.

The blonde looked up, and Albus felt another pang of sympathy shoot through him. Scorpius had barely eaten or slept all week, and his usually glowing skin looked washed out and grey. His eyes were dull and tired, and his pale hair fell limply over his ears.

“I, er… I don’t really have anything to wear. Tomorrow. Nothing black. Or… or good enough.”

Albus hoped he sounded apologetic enough, and not like he didn’t care - he did have smart-ish clothes, but as he never needed them at school, he’d left them back at Grimmauld Place, and there wouldn’t be time to go back and grab anything before their Floo to the Manor in the morning.

Scorpius shrugged. “Wear anything. Mum wouldn’t care. She never really went in for formal dressing anyway, that’s more Dad’s side of the family.”

“Yeah, I know but… I don’t want to be disrespectful.” Albus looked back down at his trunk. “I’m sorry, Scorpius, I didn’t… I didn’t realise we’d be going to a funeral, and I….”

“Me neither” said Scorpius quietly, a wry expression twisting across his face. Albus’s stomach dropped - of course - of all the stupid comments - 

“Shit, Scorpius, I didn’t mean it like that - I didn’t - oh, Merlin - “

“It’s OK, Albus” Scorpius cut him off, sounding stronger and even managing a proper smile across the room. “It’s fine - you can borrow something of mine.”

“Are you sure? Will it fit? Won’t your dad mind?”

“Yeah, of course. It’s fine. You’re a bit shorter than me, but you can roll stuff up, and you’ll have your cloak on over the top for the main service anyway. It’ll be outside, in the rose garden. That was her - that was her favourite place.”

Scorpius swallowed and glanced down at his own packing, and Albus knew he was fighting back tears again. He hated crying in public, even in front of Albus.

“Thanks, Scor” Albus said softly, turning back around so Scorpius could wipe his eyes in peace. 

\-----------

Early the next morning, Albus woke to find Scorpius already awake, staring up at the ceiling from his bed directly opposite Albus’s. None of the other boys were awake yet, but McGonagall had arranged a Floo from her office before breakfast, shrewdly guessing that Scorpius would want to avoid as many people as possible on the morning of his mum’s funeral.

Keeping quiet so as not to disturb anyone, Albus quickly got dressed and grabbed his rucksack, hearing Scorpius do the same on the other side of the room. When they were both ready, they headed towards the door, and Albus grabbed Scorpius’s hand, intending to give it a quick squeeze. When Scorpius grabbed his fingers back and showed no signs of letting go, Albus shifted his position so his thumb could rub against Scorpius’s palm, and they walked up to meet McGonagall together.

\-------------

Albus had found an old set of Scorpius’s dress robes that roughly fit him, and he was sitting in the parlour at the Manor feeling more than a little bit self-conscious and intimidated. He’d never been to Scorpius’s home before, and it was much bigger and stranger than his own - but not nearly as dark or gloomy as he’d been expecting, based on his dad’s memories of the Malfoy residence. He could see Astoria everywhere, even though he’d never met her, from the beautiful furniture to the myriad of plants that threatened to overtake each room. Even the scent floating through the air spoke of a distinctly feminine presence, and Albus knew it sounded silly, but despite everything, he thought he could tell that the Manor had known joy in recent years.

Scorpius was with Mr Malfoy in his rooms, helping his dad get ready - Albus hadn’t seen too much of Draco Malfoy himself since they’d arrived earlier that morning, but he supposed that was to be expected. After he and Scorpius had dumped their bags and got changed, Scorpius told Albus that he could wait down here until the other guests arrived, and Albus, sensing Scorpius and his Dad wanted this time alone together, had hugged his friend tightly and given them the space they needed.

Through the patio doors of the parlour, Albus could see the rose garden where the service would be held. Despite being a Sunday in September, it was a beautifully sunny day, and the panes of glass cast a stunning rainbow pattern across the slate pathways criss-crossing the rosebeds.

Hearing no signs of movement from upstairs, Albus carefully crossed the room and pushed open the patio doors, feeling the breeze on his face and smelling the rich and heady smell of the roses, which he immediately knew were responsible for the scent he’d detected indoors. There were blooms of every possible colour and size surrounding him, all obviously and carefully planted and arranged to create the most fabulous combinations and patterns, and Albus felt himself getting emotional as he surveyed the chairs set out to one side ready to receive Astoria’s loved ones. This was so obviously her space, and he was honoured that Scorpius trusted him so much to share these last precious memories of his mum.

Before he’d really thought about it, Albus delicately plucked the stem of a nearby rose, a lemony yellow coloured flower that almost shone in the morning sun. It would go perfectly with Scorpius’s hair. 

As he was twisting the stem to make it shorter, he heard footsteps behind him, and turned to see Scorpius himself making his way down the path, eyes red but smiling at the sight of Albus. Without saying anything, Albus reached over and tucked the rose into Scorpius’s robes, smoothing his friend down. Scorpius’s breath hitched, and he reached out to grab Albus’s hand once again, looking down at the flower on his chest.

“Ready?” Albus asked softly, watching Scorpius swallow hard.

“Ready. Dad’s gone to bring the other guests through now.”

The two boys weaved over to the chairs, choosing seats on the very first row. As Albus sat down, he made a silent promise to Astoria, the same one that he’d made to Scorpius himself back on the platform.

“I’ll be right there. I’ll always be there for him.”


	3. A World Of Darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: nightmares, panic attacks, nausea.

“Scorpius - “

Scorpius could feel the freezing cold dread flooding his veins, he wanted to scream but every time he opened his mouth it felt like he was suffocating, and all he could hear was a high pitched cackle that sounded exactly like his Dad and nothing like his Dad at the same time. He tried to move, tried to run, but he was held in place by some invisible bindings, and then the panic started, erupting from his stomach like a volcano and threatening to engulf him completely - 

“Scorpius!!!”

Something was touching him, shaking him. He tried to scream again and this time it sounded loud and clear, piercing the air and shattering reality into a million pieces. He came to, sweating, feeling soft blankets under his palms and sitting up to find his best friend staring at him in concern, holding onto his arm and perching on the side of his bed.

“Wheramwhaaa?” Scorpius mumbled, panting slightly and looking wildly from side to side, calming when he noticed the soothing green hangings of his dormitory and the soft glow coming from the windows overlooking the lake.

“You’re OK, you’re fine, you were having a bad dream - it’s OK, you’re OK” Albus repeated, still holding Scorpius’s arm and running his fingers lightly down his forearm.

Scorpius’s breathing slowed, and as the creeping dread lessened, embarrassment started to take its place.

“Oh - argh - um, Albus, I- “

“Shhhh” said Albus, budging up even closer towards Scorpius. “It doesn’t matter. It was just a bad dream.”

“I was back there.” Scorpius swallowed, looking away as Albus’s eyes widened. “In the - in the dark world. With - with Voldemort. And - and my Dad. They were….” Scorpius’s voice trailed off, he wasn’t sure he could admit that his Dad and Voldemort had been working together, even if it was just a dream.

Because, in another way, it wasn’t. Scorpius had actually been to the dark world. He had seen it, he’d lived it. It had existed. It had existed, and Albus hadn’t - and Scorpius had been alone. Alone, and terrified of what he’d been. What he’d become. Without Albus, and still without his mum. 

He’d been back in the “real” world, or what he thought of as the real world, for almost a month now, but the nightmares still came. Not very often - not every night - but when they did, Scorpius felt like it was happening all over again - that he was being dragged back into that dark world, which got more and more terrifying with every dream.

“It’s not real, Scorp” Albus was talking softly, wanting to reassure Scorpius and hating to see his friend so upset. “You’re here, you’re safe, I’m here, and it’s not real.”

“I know.” Scorpius looked down at his arm, at the circles Albus was tracing across his wrist. “I know. But it…. It feels real. Felt real. And I couldn’t do anything, I couldn’t escape, I couldn’t stop - “

“Stop, Scorpius. Stop now. You haven’t done anything wrong. You didn’t do anything wrong. You DID escape. You saved us! You saved everyone!” Albus was becoming more animated, and his eyes looked beseechingly into Scorpius’s. “You fixed it and you came back!”

Scorpius dragged his knees towards his chest, and hugged them. His breathing was still a bit fast, and his heart was beating non-stop, but just hearing Albus’s voice was making him calmer. He knew Albus was right, even if he still felt guilty for everything he’d done and everything he’d been in that other world.

The bed creaked as Albus climbed on properly, and nudged Scorpius to the side. It was a squeeze, but once Albus was properly balanced, he reached his arms around Scorpius and pressed his chest against Scorpius’s side. It felt warm, and safe, and Albus smelled like sleep and peppermint. Scorpius leaned in, and then realised something.

“Um, Albus? Is this a hug? Do we hug now?”

Albus shuffled so he was looking straight at Scorpius. “Do you want to hug?”

Scorpius shuffled back in to Albus’s touch. “Yes. Yes please.”

When the rest of their dormitory woke up, they found Albus’s bed empty, and two boys squished into Scorpius’s - snoring softly and with arms wound around each other. A stubbed toe and the following yelp immediately woke Albus, who saw everyone staring at them and immediately glared back - a glare that dared any of them to say something, and at the same time warned them to stay quiet. 

Silently, the other boys just nodded and looked away, ignoring Albus and Scorpius, and started to pull socks and ties out of their trunks. Albus settled back down, heart beating fast, and curled his body around the still-sleeping Scorpius, determined to stay there as long as necessary to make sure his friend felt safe.


	4. Wangoballwime?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, I definitely stole this idea from the whole Ron/Fleur fiasco in Goblet of Fire - I couldn't resist! 
> 
> Also, this is where we start to see Albus pining. Pining and panicking!

“Ughhhhhhhhhhhh” groaned Scorpius, letting his head fall into his hands and bending over as far as he possibly could whilst still remaining sitting in the armchair. 

Albus reached over and patted his friend on the back, filled with a mix of second-hand pity, embarrassment and a sickly feeling he didn’t really want to think about right now.

“I’m sorry, mate, I know how you felt about her….”

Scorpius just groaned again, burying his face even further in his arms.

Albus grimaced, and stared at the top of Scorpius’s head as he tried to work out what to say next. If he’s honest with himself, he hadn’t really expected Rose to say yes to being Scorpius’s date to the Yule Ball, but he hadn’t been able to bear telling Scorpius that. Crushing his dreams and causing his friend to look and act like a sick puppy wasn’t something Albus was capable of, even if he did now have to bear the burden of Scorpius’s rejection - and the burden of that feeling that he was very resolutely ignoring when it came to Scorpius and the idea of him dating anyone at all.

And really, Rose had been quite nice about it. Scorpius was right in thinking she’d mellowed over the years - just unfortunately, not quite as much as he’d wanted. She’d let him down gently and did seem genuinely sorry, which was a vast improvement on the disgusted looks she used to give him before flouncing off whenever he spoke to her - but a no is still a no, and Scorpius was clearly taking it very badly.

Despite Scorpius’s suffering, Albus had to hand it to his friend for having the confidence to ask Rose in the first place. He hadn’t even thought about taking anyone to the Ball, let alone worked up the courage to ask a girl. That feeling he was oh so brilliantly not thinking about did a flip in his stomach then, and Albus shook his head, determined not to have a crisis when there was an actual crisis already happening right in front of him.

Casting his mind around for a distraction, Albus spotted a discarded set of Gobstones on the table nearby. Seizing on the idea, he nudged Scorpius and reached over to grab the board.

“Wanna play? Take your mind off things?”

“Take my mind off things”? Scorpius repeated, finally lifting his head and staring at Albus in bemusement. “Albus, have you completely lost the plot? I’ve just been turned down by your cousin in front of everyone and you want me to play Gobstones? Since when do we even like Gobstones?!”

“I dunno!” Albus shrugged, already giving up on the idea. “I just thought you might want… you know… not to think about it anymore?”

“Albus, I can’t STOP thinking about it. I made an utter fool of myself, and undid five years of hard work thawing Rose out. She hates me again now! She’ll never speak to me again!” Scorpius sighed dramatically, and dropped his head onto the back of his chair. “One false move and poof! My chance has gone!”

Albus’s face twisted into a grin, despite himself - Scorpius always did get so worked up over things like this. It was quite sweet, if hilarious, to watch.

“Scorp, she doesn’t hate you. Don’t be stupid. She said she’s already going with someone else and that she thinks of you as a friend. A friend! For Rose, that’s practically as good as a marriage.”

“But nobody goes to the ball with a friend, Albus. Do they?”

“Don’t they?” Albus shifted, suddenly uncomfortable. “What’s wrong with going with a friend?”

“Oh you know, nothing I suppose… it’s just…. Scorpius Malfoy, such a loser, can’t even get a date to the Ball, you know.”

Scorpius genuinely looked down, and Albus felt his heart clench - though what exactly it was that was making it clench quite so hard was still unclear. Albus was resolutely refusing to examine that internal box of chocolate frogs.

“You’re not a loser, Scorpius. And there’s nothing wrong with going to the ball with a friend. I even thought…. you know, that we’d just go together? Show up for a bit and have a laugh?”

“Me and you?” Scorpius looked thoughtful.

“Yeah! No - I mean - yes, but as friends, right? It’d be stupid to miss it just because neither of us has dates. The Wyrd Sisters are meant to be doing a special comeback show, and… it might be fun?” Albus was aware he was mumbling now, but he couldn’t seem to stop. “We can even head off early after their set - how about we steal loads of food and take it up to the Astronomy Tower? We could have our own midnight feast and you can look at the stars and we’ll miss all the stupid slow dances and it won’t matter that we didn’t go with anyone.”

Scorpius smiled. “Well, Albus, I can see how much you want to be my date. I accept!” he said grandly, throwing his arm around Albus and grinning.

Albus blushed and immediately looked away, not wanting Scorpius see - he didn’t want to make this awkward. Scorpius was just joking. And he HAD assumed they’d just go together. They did everything together after all, so why should a stupid ball be any different? He didn’t know why he’d suggested the whole midnight feast thing after though. Why would Scorpius even want to do astronomy when he could be dancing with Rose? Merlin, of all the idiotic things Albus could have suggested - 

“Thanks, Albus.” Albus turned, and saw Scorpius looking at him. “You always know how to make me feel better. You’re the best. We SHALL go the ball, and we shall have a midnight feast! Wait until I tell my Dad, I don’t think he thinks I’m cool enough to know who the Wyrd Sisters even are.”

Albus grinned back at his friend, relieved that he’d managed to improve Scorpius’s mood so quickly, yet suddenly nervous at the thought of actually going to the ball together. He might have successfully cheered Scorpius up, but the plan he’d suggested afterwards sounded an awful lot like something two people would do on an actual date.


	5. Graduation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HeadBoy! Scorpius has been one of my headcanons from the very start. Also, have a little bit more Pining!Albus !

If Scorpius didn’t get out of the shower and get dressed in the next five minutes, he’d come dangerously close to missing his own graduation. His own graduation, which, as Head Boy, he was also expected to give a speech at. To the whole school.

“Scorpius!!!” Albus yelled, banging on the door separating the dorm from their shared bathroom. “It’s almost 11!”

Scorpius didn’t answer, but Albus was sure he could hear the other boy mumbling away to himself. Leaning closer, he caught the words “thankful” and “reputation” and “career” over the sound of gushing water.

“Scorpius, stop practicing your speech in there - you have to give it for real in about 15 minutes!!” Albus banged on the door one last time, relieved when the sound of the shower stopped. “Thank Merlin.”

Albus was already dressed in his robes, and had attempted to flatten his hair for the occasion - though after 30 seconds he’d been forced to admit defeat, and it was as untidy as ever, flopping all over his eyes and forcing him to push it back every few minutes. He was going to get it cut this summer, he swore it.

“Coming!” called Scorpius, banging around himself and sounding somewhere between terrified and elated. “I think I’ve got it Albus, I think I’ve finally remembered it!”

“You had it weeks ago Scorp!” said Albus, shaking his head. Scorpius had been working on his graduation speech since Christmas, and Albus had heard him deliver it word perfectly at least 10 times over the last fortnight. “Hurry up”!

“Done”. Scorpius opened the door and practically fell out of the bathroom, bringing a steam cloud of lemon and pine trees into the dorm. Albus’s stomach squeezed - the smell was SO Scorpius, and concentrated like this, it was rather a lot to deal with.

Looking up at his best friend, Albus had to admit Scorpius himself was rather a lot to deal with too. Even though he’d clearly only had a few minutes to get ready, he looked perfect - his hair was shiny and smooth against his neck, he had a pink glow from the hot water, and he was dressed impeccably in his uniform, Head Boy badge glinting on his lapel. Compared to Albus, who couldn’t manage to look this put together even when he had hours to spare, Scorpius was in a different league. Albus considered it mightily unfair.

“Right, let’s go then!” Albus said, swallowing down what he really wanted to say, which was much more along the lines of “You look really nice Scorpius” and which definitely wouldn’t be weird at all.

“Let’s go and graduate!” Scorpius agreed, grabbing Albus’s hand and pulling him across the dorm.

\----------

They’d made it to the Great Hall with five minutes to spare, and almost cannoned into McGonagall at the entrance, who’d been hovering around clearly waiting for Scorpius. She’d grabbed his shoulder as soon as she spotted him, steering him away from Albus and down the aisle to the front, where a spare seat was waiting next to Rose. As Head Boy and Head Girl, Rose and Scorpius would each give a short speech at the end of the ceremony, before everyone was free to go and mingle with their parents, friends and fellow graduates. 

Albus quickly found a place in the crowd; the House tables had been vanished and replaced with individual chairs for everyone today, all pointing towards the stage erected at the front of the Hall. He craned his neck to see where his parents were, and found them seated quite close to Mr Malfoy in the section reserved for family and friends. Catching his mums eye, he waved; she poked his dad and Harry immediately gave Albus a mega-watt grin and thumbs up. 

Grinny back, Albus turned back to the front, eyes settling on the back of Scorpius’s blonde head. He couldn’t quite believe they’d got here - that they’d survived seven years of Hogwarts - and were about to be let loose in the big wide wizarding world. So much had happened since they’d both started school, some of which they’d prefer to forget, but a lot of which they’d be lucky enough to remember. They’d had each other, and they’d both done amazingly well in their exams, and they’d each grown so much from the shy, small boys that had boarded the Hogwarts Express together on their very first day. 

Albus didn’t really know what the future would bring, but he was feeling ready to meet it, and although he was nervous about the next steps for himself and Scorpius, he knew they would continue to stay in each others lives. He had a vague idea of applying for his Potioneers License and training up to work as a Master Blender, whilst Scorpius hadn’t quite decided what to do - he was considering training to be a Healer, working for his Dad and the Charity Foundation they’d set up in Astoria’s name, or taking a year off to travel and enjoy the freedom. Albus secretly hoped it wasn’t the latter, as he’d recently taken to imagining him and Scorpius getting a little flat together regardless of what careers they chose; after all, they’d both need a place to live right, and it’s not as if either of them had partners to move in with - 

He was shaken from his thoughts by the sound of a stern cough from the front of the Hall. McGonagall was standing up, which meant the ceremony was about to begin. 

Albus tried hard to concentrate as all of the teachers stood up and said their piece, and handed out awards to students who had achieved especially high marks in the NEWT exams. Unsurprisingly, Scorpius won the awards for Astronomy and Transfiguration, and Albus felt so proud he could burst - he was even happier for Scorpius than he was for himself, when he heard his own name announced as the Potions prizewinner. Locking eyes across the crowd after each of their wins, the two friends allowed happiness to course through their veins - now, only Scorpius and Rose’s speeches were left, and once Scorpius had delivered his, they were free to celebrate together.

Rose’s was short, sharp and hilarious - just like her. Bubbles of tension and emotion broke all over the Hall, and Rose sat back down, grinning. 

For a moment, Albus didn’t think Scorpius was going to get up - but then the blonde head rose, Scorpius straightened his back and rolled his shoulders, and turned to face the crowd. After a three second pause, which Scorpius filled by glancing at Albus, his dad, and then back at Albus, Scorpius began.

Halfway through, and he was killing it - some people had laughed, some had lifted a hand to wipe their eyes, and a few more had even cheered. Scorpius was on the home stretch, about to launch into the “goodbye and good luck” section Albus could recite himself in his sleep - and then all of a sudden, Scorpius went silent. He’d frozen after his last sentence. Albus stared, wondering what was wrong - Scorpius surely couldn’t be getting stage fright now?! - and after a beat, terrified and pleading eyes once again sought out Albus in the crowd. People were beginning to whisper, more out of concern than cattiness, but Albus knew that the longer Scorpius stood there, the harder he would find it to start talking again.

Without even thinking about it, Albus stood up so Scorpius could see and hear him - ignoring the fact that everyone could see and hear him - and began the final section of Scorpius’s speech. After a few painful, confused seconds and a couple of giggles and “shh!”s from the audience, Scorpius latched on to Albus’s words and spoke them alongside him, back in his groove. 

Albus breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down, cheeks burning. He hated speaking in front of people, and he was far too shy to have believed he could do that - but Scorpius’s grin was worth it, and he finished his speech to a cacophony of applause and whoops and cheers. He even joined in himself for a few seconds, fist pumping the air and looking adorably awkward, before sending a soft smile in Albus’s direction and tripping over his feet as he attempted to navigate the aisle separating himself from his friend.

“You saved me Albus, you did it! We did it! We’ve graduated!” Scorpius’s happiness was infectious, and as he finally reached Albus, the smaller boy reached up and gave Scorpius the biggest hug of his life.

“YOU did it Scorp! That was amazing!”

Scorpius grinned, shaking his head. “I’d never have got through it without you. I don’t know what happened. My mind just went blank, and all I could see was everyone looking at me, and all I could think of was what I ate for dinner last night, which obviously wasn’t any help at all, and then I - “

“Scorpius” said a warm voice from behind Albus, cutting off Scorpius’s slightly frenzied monologue. “I’m so very proud of you - two awards! You even beat me” Draco Malfoy grinned wryly, obviously over the moon at his sons’ achievements. “And you, Albus - congratulations. From what Scorpius tells me, that Potions award was very well deserved.” He held out a hand to shake Albus’s. 

Albus took Mr Malfoy's hand, and the older man pulled him closer so only Albus could hear. “Thank you for helping Scorpius out there too. That was very brave of you. You’re a good friend.”

Albus blushed again, unsure what to say. “Thank you, Mr Malfoy. It - I - I just did it, you know.”

“Well, I know Scorpius is very lucky to have you.” Draco Malfoy replied, smiling and releasing Albus’s hand.

I’m lucky to have him, Albus thought, turning to greet his own dad who had just managed to push through the crowd, pulling his mum along behind him.


	6. Bath Bombs & Birthdays

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scorpius being obsessed with Lush bath bombs (especially any and all of the ones related to astronomy) is I think my FAVOURITE headcanon. This was DELIGHTFUL to write. It is very very sickly. Enjoy!

Albus was late, fed up, and covered in something so smelly he didn’t even want to think about, let alone try and identify. His last experiment had been going fine until he added the Knotgrass, and then all of a sudden, he was ducking down under his workbench and shoving his hands over his eyes whilst his cauldron exploded to the sound of an ear-splitting shriek.

Screaming potions - that was a new one.

He sighed, thinking back over the last few months. He’s taken an apprenticeship with Hester Dagworth, most renowned potioneer in Diagon Alley, pretty much as soon as he left Hogwarts. Dagworth had actually approached him, after hearing about Albus’s graduation award, and he couldn’t deny the offer had been a serious boost to his ego. He’d immediately accepted, agreeing to work under Dagworth for the two years it would take to get his own Junior Potioneers License, and for the most part he was doing really well. Until this afternoon.

It was especially frustrating that an exploding potion had made him stay behind today, because today was Scorpius’s birthday. They hadn’t planned much - just a takeaway, a few beers and a board game or two, because Mr Malfoy was hosting a proper dinner at the Manor this weekend - but it was supposed to be a special night. Scorpius was rarely home on evenings, as he was in the middle of his night shift rotation at St Mungos, but he’d managed to wangle a swapped shift this week and get the day (and night) off for his birthday.

Glancing at the watch his mum and dad had given him on his seventeenth birthday, Albus gritted his teeth. If he picked up the pace, leapt into the shower as soon as he got home, and ordered a takeaway right after he put some fresh clothes on, they could be sitting down to eat and game at around 8pm. That was still reasonable. Luckily, he’d already wrapped Scorpius’s gift and sorted a cake out - his Grandmother had delivered a Molly Weasley special by OWL post the previous night - and so all he had to do was hope Scorpius hadn’t already got too bored waiting for him.

Luckily, the two of them had managed to find a flat quite close to the centre of Wizarding London - handy for both of them to reach their jobs on foot, as neither liked Apparating all too much - so Albus sped up into a jog as he reached the end of their street. Even though he’d been living with Scorpius for almost two months now, he still couldn’t quite believe how well they’d settled into their new post-Hogwarts lives and how right it felt to still be spending all day every day with his best friend. Those feelings that Albus got whenever he looked at Scorpius too closely or thought about Scorpius too much were still there, but he was too much of a coward to explore what they might mean, and he didn’t want to ruin what they already had. His only saving grace was that since Rose, Scorpius hadn’t seemed that interested in anyone else or keen on dating, and so they mostly kept themselves to themselves, save for spending a bit of time with each other's families.

Hurrying up the stairs to their front door, Albus pulled out his wand and whispered a quick ‘Alohomora’, letting himself in and shaking his feet out of his trainers.

“Scorp? Sorry I’m so late mate - had a nightmare at work - I’ll just grab a shower - be back down in five!” Albus called, assuming Scorpius would be hanging out in the living room watching the Muggle cartoon shows he loved so much.

Scorpius didn’t answer, but Albus was already bouncing up the stairs, shedding his stained and smelly robes as soon as he reached his bedroom. Grabbing a towel, he wandered over the bathroom in just his pants, trying to decide whether Scorpius would prefer pizza or Chinese or Vietnamese tonight - 

“Scorpius!! What are you doing?”

Albus jumped, suddenly noticing that the bathroom was very definitely not as empty as he’d expected. Scorpius was stretched over the side of the bath, shirt sleeves rolled up, twisting the hot tap off. A deliciously sweet and earthy scent filled the room, ostensibly coming from the mounds of rainbow bubbles filling the tub. A beer sat on the side of the bath, alongside a tiny ceramic bowl of Peppermint Toads - Albus’s favourite.

“Albus! Hi!” Scorpius looked over at the doorway, grinning. “As soon as I realised you were late I guessed what had happened…. remember when you set your robes on fire that time? Your hair smelt burnt for weeks after - anyway - I just thought you might need a bath, and I was bored, so I… made one for you?”

Scorpius looked adorable when he was pleased with himself. Albus could barely bring himself to speak, and his brain kept helpfully pointing out that he was stood in front of Scorpius in nothing but his pants.

“Scorp, wow, thanks…. But it’s your birthday! You shouldn’t have done all this for me! I should be treating you!” Albus grumbled, finding his voice and trying unsuccessfully to hide his very naked torso from Scorpius’s gaze. He looked down at the bath. “Is that one of your bath bombs?”

“My favourite!” Scorpius agreed, still grinning. It’s called ‘Intergalactic” and it’s from that Muggle shop Rose told us about, the one she always goes to with her mum. It makes you glittery too, look!”

Scorpius showed Albus his arm, which had a very delicate sheen of pearlescent shimmer all the way down to his wrist. 

“Wow, Scorp” Albus laughed, not quite believing that he was stood here, in a bathroom, half naked, staring at Scorpius’s glittery arm.

“So get in, relax, get clean, enjoy yourself, then come downstairs - I’m going to order a Vietnamese!” Scorpius announced, pulling his arm back and making to duck around Albus.

“Scorp, I was going to sort dinner! It’s your birthday!” Albus protested, feeling bad. “I’m late, you’ve run me a bath, the least I can do is Floo call the takeaway -”

“Shh” said Scorpius. “It’s my birthday, and I’ll do what I want. And I want you to get in that bath, and then come and eat Vietnamese with me. And play Worms and Buckets.”

“You mean Snakes and Ladders?” Albus snorted; Scorpius was obsessed with Muggle board games but had no idea what they were called - or even how to play most of them.

“Snakes, worms, whatever - just get on with it! Get in!” Scorpius pointed at the bath, chivvying Albus towards it. “I’ve had a warming charm on it for half an hour already, you’re wasting precious Intergalactic time!”

Albus laughed, and turned around as Scorpius headed out onto the landing, catching his eye before he pulled the door shut. “You’re a good friend, Scorpius. Thank you.”

Scorpius grinned again, waved, and closed the door. Albus felt his stomach swoop, and lowered himself into the sweet swelling, shimmery water. It felt like heaven.

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me on instagram @roonil_b_wazlib or on tumblr by searching "roonilbwazlib" :)


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